Watson Out as Coach at Ventura

VENTURA — A grueling, raucous three-hour meeting of the Ventura College Community College District trustees Tuesday night ended with Virgil Watson losing his job as coach of the powerhouse Ventura College men’s basketball team.

District chancellor Phil Westin read through a list of 17 reasons Watson should not be retained as supporters of the coach crowded into the room and stood in the hallway.

“Taking in totality, his questionable academic preparation, his inability to teach, and his lack of accountability and judgment have compelled me to not recommend a . . . contract for Mr. Watson,” Westin told the board.

More than 75 people--including several Ventura players--spoke on Watson’s behalf, but the trustees deliberated only about 10 minutes before voting, 4-1, against renewing his teaching contract.

Robert Gonzalez, a commander with the Santa Paula Police Dept., was the only trustee voting to retain Watson.

After Westin and Watson’s supporters made their points in often contentious fashion, Westin made an allegation that Watson had sexual intercourse with a 41-year-old Ventura College student last summer.

“My concern is one of judgment and a concern for ethical, moral and potential legal considerations, because there had been sexual intercourse between [Watson] and a student,” Westin said.

Watson’s attorney, Lou Carpiac, accused Westin of grandstanding, pointing out that the sex was consensual and that the female student was not a student of Watson’s.

“There is no due process with this charge,” Carpiac said. “We will file an appeal based on technical grounds. There is a hidden agenda going on here.”

Normally, personnel issues are discussed by the board in closed session. However, Watson wished to make the debate public.

“A lot of people believe in me and what the program represents,” Watson said. “We knew there would be an injustice tonight. People came to share support for me and to let the board know what is going on.

“What [Westin] did tonight was take my support and try to turn it against me. They should not bring up non-issues.”

Westin said his opinion was backed by the school’s tenure review board and by peer evaluations of Watson’s classroom techniques. Reasons for his dismissal ranged from Watson not providing adequate classroom material, to his using outdated teaching methods and not coming to class sufficiently prepared.

His coaching expertise was not an issue. Watson led Ventura to a state championship during the 1995-96 season, his first after replacing Phil Mathews. Watson was hired as a full-time instructor and coach at Ventura for this school year.

“The coach has had an impact on my life,” said George Crawford, a Ventura sophomore forward. “He’s been a father figure because I lost my father at young age.

“This doesn’t make any sense. They are making a big mistake. Look at all the support here. He’s got to have done something right. I just don’t understand it.”

Dick James, Ventura College’s athletic coordinator, was on the committee that reviewed Watson and gave its recommendation to Larry Calderon, the school president. But James would not comment on the recommendation.

According to sources, the recommendation was to rehire Watson. But sources also said James was among those leading a drive to oust Watson.

“I’d have to say you need to check the reliability of your source,” James said.

Calderon would not comment on specific reasons why Watson’s job was in jeopardy, but said Watson’s responsibilities were 80% as a teacher and 20% as a coach. Calderon added he received numerous calls from people supporting Watson strictly as a coach.

“He signed off on his performance review,” Calderon said. “I guess now he’s having problems with it.”

Watson took over the men’s basketball program last season on an interim basis, replacing Mathews, who resigned in July, 1995, to become coach at the University of San Francisco.

The Pirates finished 34-2 and won the state championship last season, their second straight title and fourth in school history.

Watson became only the second coach after Jerry Tarkanian to win a state title in his first season as head coach. Tarkanian did it with Pasadena in the 1966-67 season.

The Pirates this season finished 26-7, losing to Mt. San Antonio, 76-73, last Wednesday in the second round of the Southern California Regional. They tied with Cuesta for first place in the Western State Conference Northern Division with a 9-1 record.

During the Ventura women’s 86-59 victory over Compton in a regional game Saturday at Ventura, fans chanted, “We want Virgil, we want Virgil” when Watson walked across the floor during a break in the action.

Watson was an assistant to Mathews at Ventura from 1990-94 before becoming an assistant at UC Santa Barbara for the 1994-95 season. He was an assistant at Cal State Northridge from 1980-82 and at Valley from 1982-85. He was head coach at Valley from 1985-87.

Staff writer Fernando Dominguez contributed to this story.